Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 11:

Petor scanned the horizon from the crows nest, the merchant ships had fallen away a few hours ago.

“So, about the pirate ships. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell them to me,” Mya’s voice coming through the wood.

“You asking all of us or just me?” Petor asked.

“I’m asking all of you,” Mya said. “See with all the goods I figure that they’re probably worth Seven hundred, and ninety three thousand gold, give or take a few thousand. The ships, well loaded up with vittles and in their condition, they’d be worth about a hundred and fifteen thousand gold.”

“I don’ have a need for a ship.”

“Well that was confusing with all of you talking at the same time, but alright, okay so then I’ll take it out of my share of selling the loot. We’ve got sixty-two thousand in coins here to split up between us all.  Valter get up here and check out the ledger when you can. Petor I’ll put it on the side of the nest.”

Words scrawled along the inside of the barrel at the top mast, creating a list.

“I’ll add the information from the logbooks and charts to my own and then we can sell these ones off for a good bit of profit. Desari I’m going to need your help going through some of these powders and concoctions… I think a few of them might be a tad on the not-so-legal side.”

Petor glanced through the items. “Bunch of swords, water element gems. Is anyone taking the Aqua Beast Caller Horn?”

“I’m debating it,” Mya grumbled. “Being able to summon rare water creatures five times in a day and command those in the area is… useful.” She let out a rough sigh-grumble. “Never going to make a damn profit like this!”

He heard her hitting on the railing below.

“What’s another ninety thousand gold ontop of a hundred and fifteen thousand? Fuck.” The pure defeat in her voice forcing Petor to cover his laugh with a cough.

“What was that Petor?” Her voice dark.

“Oh nothing, just a bit of sea air going down the wrong way.” His mouth quirked into a grin. His finger stilled through the list.

Captain's Cursed Cutlass - Cost: 8,000 GP

Description: A finely crafted cutlass with a dark gleam, rumored to steal the strength of those it wounds.

“Mya, you know anything more about the Captain’s Cursed Cutlass? You know what kind of strength it would steal?”

“Literally strength, so if you were to hit someone with  it, they’d get weaker and weaker till they were basically incapacitated.”

Petor clucked his tongue. He did that already with his power, draining out mana that would weaken others to the point they couldn’t cast anything or reinforce their bodies.

His finger continued through the lists.

“Valter is taking the Anchor Medallion, good choice.”

Petor glanced back at it.

Obsidian Anchor Medallion - Cost: 6,000 GP

Description: A pendant that, when activated, anchors the user firmly in place, even underwater, preventing forced movement.

That could be very useful. He tracked through the other items, cloaks that would allow one to breathe underwater and swim faster. If there was a cloak to keep me dry I’d take that.

“Nah I think that I’m alright,” Petor said. He studied the horizon again.

“Alright. Desari? Petor’s out.” Mya went quiet. “She’s going to have another look at the ingredients we have, see if she can’t make anything out of it.”

Something caught his eye, he pulled out Mya’s lent spyglass. “Water fountain ahoy!”

“He wasn’t lying about the mist,” Petor muttered as he studied the water shooting up into the sky.

“Little bit more description please,” Mya asked from the wood, the ledger’s black ink fading away.

“Looks like a fountain in the middle of the sea. Shooting water up into the sky and its coming down in a mist. Sort of like a cone of falling mist. I can’t even see if there’s any land or anything underneath it,” Petor said.

“Should have a better look soon enough!” Mya said.

They cut through waters towards their destination. The horizon was dotted with sails and ships arriving. The afternoon slipping down into nighttime.

“There are docks sticking out of the mist and and island underneath it,” Petor said. “Fishing ships everywhere. I can see lights through the mist.”

“Well sounds like we’ll be getting wet.” Mya clicked her tongue.

“Travel the realms, see new exciting places. Get wet, most of the time with none of the fun,” Petor deadpanned.

Mya laughed. “Well there’ll be brothels a plenty I’m sure.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Petor grimaced.

“Ah a romantic.”

“Yeah and a saver, say you interested in farming?” Petor wheedled.

Mya snorted. “Keep yer eyes on the horizon Petor!”

“That where I’ll find lady love?” He affected a hurt tone.

“You are hopeless,” She snickered.

Petor laughed.

***

Desari studied the mist covered island as they approached, releasing her spells.

The constant drain fell away, the sails becoming slack and then rolling upwards storing away.

“Something is coming through the water at speed,” She cast mage sight, looking for the disturbance. “Five people on a rune powered ship.”

“Must be the locals. Don’t get twitchy now Valter,” Mya said.

The big man looked over from where he was leaning on the railing infront of the helm. “I’ll try my best not to startle them.” He looked back at the island. “I don’t guarantee anything though.”

“Oars to guiding,” Mya said. “Mesurial, keep us on track for the docks. Lets see where we’re going to get put.”

Desari studied the circling boat. It had no sails, rough inscription upon its hull, one of their members with his hand on a tiller that glowed faintly as it skipped along the small waves.

Five others bounced with the up and down in a bored practiced way.

Desari stifled a grin at their looks. Mesurial was one hell of a ship. Not the biggest one that was docked, but she was in the upper end. A few of them pointed at the different decks, talking to one another.

She was a fine ship. She’d spent many a day staring out of Ilus’ towers at the harbor, filled with ships from all across the world. Some from beyond. She’d gained an eye for a good ship, Mesurial was well kept, large and powerful.

How many times had she thought to jump on one for her own adventure? How many times had Egrin told her to take it? And how many times had she made some excuse so that she could remain in Ilus, keeping her eyes on the spies that spread through the city and carefully altering the information that left. Carrying on her silent vigil.

He’d been able to get her on some of the smaller journeys around the local area, nothing more than a few weeks. They had been a joy to her, almost as much as her studies.

Ilus perched on the edge of an abyss, magma flowing through it flashed in her mind.

Get passage, or get the cores. We’ll be there soon.

A part of her wondered what Egrin would make of her companions. She studied those aboard the approaching boat to distract herself from the emotions that started rising up, the conflicting thoughts.

The boat came back around from circling the ship.

“Prepare to be boarded and inspected by writ of Lord Orosi!” A woman called out.

“Valter could you throw the ladder over the side,” Mya pointed to its location stored in a box.

“On it,” He pushed off the railing and moved down the stairs.

“Putting down a ladder on the port side!” Mya’s voice cut across the water with ease.

The boat picked up its pace and moved around the aft of the ship.

Valter threw the ladder, its wooden slats hitting against the side of the ship as it descended.

“Petor, might as well get down from the nest,” Mya said.

He started dropping down, small slivers of his will—the colloquial word for spells that were based on the will of the caster—reached out to the ship’s mast, keeping him secured as he dropped down.

Desari waited for the inspector’s ship to come close, hidden by the size of Mesurial. She ran a hand over her gear, pulling several daggers half out of their sheaths, checking they’d be easily at hand.

Mya sniffed her flintlocks and drew back hammers halfway on four of them, a flick of the thumb and a pull of the forefinger away from use. All of her more exotic weapons hidden away. She popped her sword up with her thumb.

Petor dropped to the ground, wearing his arm and leg bracers. His hand circled his belt of things, resting over his loaded sling. He shot them a grin as he moved to have a clear line of sight to where the ladder came over the railing, instead of behind Valter’s back.

Valter slid his carving dagger into its sheath resting his hands on his belt without putting his thumbs in it. Quicker on the draw.

The boat tapped against the ship with a dull thud. The ladder shifted, the wooden rungs shifting and hitting against the hull.

One of the fighters was over the railing a few seconds later, quickly followed by five others.

The boat powered away, ceasing hitting the side of the ship, slowing to a stop a few hundred meters off the bow.

“Purpose of travel?” A woman asked, her face hardened by time and exposure to the weather. Her body the kind of trim that someone that spent their time training.

“Just coming to do a bit of trading,” Mya moved for the stairs and walked down towards the inspectors. One standing behind the older woman, his eyes flitting between the others, his hand on a sword made of bone.

The others were looking over the ship, Petor and Valter.

Won’t rust with all the water. Desari shifted to the helm to give the pretense that someone was piloting the ship.

“Where’s the rest of the crew?” The woman asked.

“This is it,” Mya shrugged.

“Four of you?” The woman’s tone showed how much she believed that.

“We run a tight ship.”

“I could see that on a cutter, but this is a bit bigger than that.”

“You’re free to take a look,” Mya waved them towards the hatches. “I don’t know if it will help. We helped out a trader a bit ago, name of Zilthor.”

The woman frowned, her eyes narrowing.

“He said that he would pay for our docking fees and that we should talk to harbormaster Krev?”

Those looking around the ship and the flinty-eyed inspector looked at the older woman.

Her lips pressed together, tightening her grip on her sword.

Something’s there.

“Iros,” Her voice came out in a strained lightness. “Guide us into the harbor. Rena, signal to Silas, to head back in-land.”

Two of the inspectors moved, one for the stairs the other for the forward bow, hesitating as Valter moved to the side to let them past with a tight smile.

“We’ll guide you in,” The woman said, she turned and followed her inspector that moved for the bow, the others following her.

“Valter pull up the ladder,” Mya said, and turned to follow Iros to the upper deck.

The man had shifty eyes that raked over Desari, a leering grin spreading over his face.

“Mister Iros, where are we headed?” Mya asked from behind him, making him jerk.

His smile spread out as he studied her in turn.

She passed him, taking her position at helm. His eyes stuck to her backside. Desari moved back to the navigation table.

“Zilthor is a well known name around here. Your in luck,” He broke his gaze to pull out a ledger from a pouch, flipping through pages. “We have a couple of births that will fit your vessel.”

He grinned and held out a map, showing a section of docks and pointed at one of them.

“Thank you,” Mya said, looking over the docks ahead, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon, stopping at a point. She turned the helm the ship shifting.

“Desari, little help with the waters?” Mya asked.

“Okay,” Desari created a spell to cover the bottom of the hull, that would guide the water along it in the direction the rudder was pointed.

Iros stayed close to the helm, too close. He jabbered on about various things, Mya shifting in ways that he wouldn’t be able to put a hand on her.

Valter perked up from where he put the ladder away and moved for the helm. Petor was leaning on the railing looking at misty cove.

“Ah, Valter, here’s the helm. Iros if you could help him it’d be appreciated,” Mya winked at the man, handing off the helm to Valter.

He quirked an eyebrow to Desari.

She shook her head, rolling her eyes and glancing in the direction of Iros. He was an annoyance and a lech, but starting a fight here could add a great number of complications.

“Aye captain,” Valter stood at the helm. “Where to Iros?”

Mya headed down the stairs to the top deck.

The leader of the inspectors was at the front of the ship, the boat heading in ahead of them. She was talking to the guard, away from the other inspectors who were looking at one of the cannons, another sitting on a crate, eating something.

“Uh, well just stay on this heading for a bit.” Iros moved away from the helm a bit, moving closer to Desari.